Picking up your dog's poo.

[PhilomenaPringle]

Xmas day family walk this morning. Enforced, as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather stay home tending the dinner as I am the person most responsible. A brisk hour's walk along the seafront. Not on the beach, just the concrete prom. Naturally, the dog walkers are out in force.
I'm not a dog owner, or even a dog liker, but, you know, if they're on a lead and under control, live and let live. (Not that they always are, but that's not the purpose of my question)

I do this walk pretty regularly because it's exhilarating in wild weather, and pleasant in spring and autumn. Summer there's not much shade so I keep it short. The dogwalkers around have many shortcomings. The users of long leads can trip you up or get wound round you. People who don't believe their dog needs a lead at all can be irritating when their dog just wants to say hello.
Up in your face and leaving doggy prints on your coat. Nope.

Hello? I don't want to say hello to your dog. Thank you very much.
However, the vast majority cause no problem to me at all. Most dogs I encounter are on leads, under control, and perfectly amiable in their ignoring of me. I do not love dogs, and if I'm out and about and they leave me alone,
I have no problem with them.

But I have noticed something quite important. Especially today. This morning.
I HAVE noticed it before but not really thought about it in depth.
Out of about 20 dogs, who did a poo, 4 of them did a really liquid poo. Which was impossible for the owners to pick up.

The ones who did a solid poo, most of the owners (not all by any means!!} picked up and put it in a bag. But the ones whose dogs had dodgy guts just left it in a big pool of brown shite.
I get it. How can you pick that up!?

So, my business venture is, for dog owners to carry around a supply of crystallising stuff, (DH is a chemist) so that if your dog has diarrhea all over the prom or a kids playground, would you fork out and carry it around with you? Just pour it over immediately, and the warmth would make it into a big lump that you could take away and get rid of, and not leave for kids to slip in.

We are seriously on the brink of putting money into this idea. I have concrete personal experience that this happens regularly enough (several times a day on even my own local beach!) that if every single dog owner who knows that their dogs will produce loose and unpickupable shits. . . .I'd make a mint.

Will those people fork out money for a bagful of salts, to make their pets loose motions easier to just take home with them and dispose of.

I really very much doubt it. I won't make any millions out of this.
They simply do not care. If it's all liquid shite they will just leave it there for kids to skid in.

Have a little think, dog owners.

As a non-dog owner, I love the sound of this!

As the owner of a dog with the occasional runny poo, I'd buy it.

I carry bags, water and wipes to contend with the runs but what you're proposing sounds amazing!

This sounds like a great idea. I am a dog lover and would buy this. It's mortifying when this happens and I have tried to scrape the mess off the ground and fear my fingers going through the bag 🤢
There will always be a small minority of dickheads that just don't pick up ever. Morons.

Swallowing/drinking seawater can give dogs the shits so possibly why a more of an issue near the beach.

You can buy a spray that freezes poo to make it easier to scoop but can imagine it would work out expensive and awkward to carry about for every walk in case they do have a liquid poo. I prefer to carry the minimum in pockets than lug a bag. It would need to be environmentally friendly with the chemicals.

I usually go for some absorbant kitchen roll to get the worst of it in bag and rinse with water if have some on me. If I know dog has the shits I prefer to stay close to home & not walk somewhere busy.

As a non-dog owner, I love the sound of this!

Of course you do. Nobody wants to go for a country walk and encounter dogshit every step of the way. But it's just how it is now.

I'm a bit worried for the local doggies now, because after losing several sheep last winter our local farmer has said that she will shoot any dog that she sees on her land. Several of her sheep aborted last year because of local uncontrolled dogs frightening them. It's a fact that sheep abort when random dogs come near, and barking. The dogs and owners might have absolutely no idea of the impact. That is because they are idiots and do not deserve to live in a farming community, They come and buy a nice house in the village but they are clueless.
And they bring their untrained dogs with them and let them out in the back

She is allowed to shoot them if they are on her land and bothering her sheep.

Absolutely quite right too. Some of them were quite nice and friendly dogs.
But, you know, they got a bit aggressive around pregnant sheep and their owners were unaware. I have no problem whatever.

Would this be similar to the vomit powder in bio haz clean up kits?

Not sure what the point of bringing up the livestock chasing thing was - I don't know a single farmer who wouldn't shoot a dog chasing livestock where appropriate (some places wouldn't be safe, and you can't put human life in danger to do it).

Anyway - poop freeze spray has been around a fair while, few people use it to my knowledge but you can get it on amazon or it was stocked in B&M for a bit. Those of us with dogs that get a bit runny due to excitement tend to carry kitchen roll and a squirty water bottle for such incidents.

I'd be interested, but whats the implications of the crystals should any be left on the ground - a fair bit of wildlife will ingest poo directly or indirectly (slugs eat it, lots of things survive on eating slugs).

It's going to go in peoples bags or pockets alongside dog treats etc, what happens when a dog or child eats it?

How much do I need for the average splatty poo... will the container be convenient to carry in my bag or pocket, I already have phone, keys, wallet, dog treats, poo bags, lead, kitchen roll and water bottle...

I am a dog owner and one of mine has a sensitive stomach. Sometimes the poo is a bit liquid. I do pick them up (as best I can) but a bit does always stick to the grass a bit. The immediate thoughts that come to my mind:
-Do I want another product to carry with me? I suspect the granules wouldn't be light and I try to take as little as possible on a walk.
-Would the granules left on the ground (especially if a lot of people are using them) be irritating to dog noses or paws?
-Will it really help since I do a pretty good job picking up the less firm anyway?

I'd buy it, like a pp if my dog does do a runny 'un I try and get it up the best I can and have tissues and water to try and clean it up but it's not perfect so this sounds ideal.
Unfortunately though I think you're going to only appeal to responsible dog owners who already do stuff like that.
Xmas Eve my little on lead dog was set upon by 3 off lead dogs, on a side road, I picked her up and so they just scrambled up me, and grabbed her and dragged her out of my hands (mainly because I let go because I got bitten) so I got an emergency vets bill and two sore hands from bites from the dogs for Christmas.
Owner totally useless, too many dogs, not a clue about how to control them (a lead would have been a start!) And despite them coming at us aggressively, proclaimed that it must have been my dogs fault for "Growling or something" Because "They've never done that before" 🤔🙄
I have reported to the police because I got bitten and it was definitely his dogs but don't hold out much hope.
People like that will never take responsibility unfortunately.

I'd buy it, like a pp if my dog does do a runny 'un I try and get it up the best I can and have tissues and water to try and clean it up but it's not perfect so this sounds ideal.
Unfortunately though I think you're going to only appeal to responsible dog owners who already do stuff like that.
Xmas Eve my little on lead dog was set upon by 3 off lead dogs, on a side road, I picked her up and so they just scrambled up me, and grabbed her and dragged her out of my hands (mainly because I let go because I got bitten) so I got an emergency vets bill and two sore hands from bites from the dogs for Christmas.
Owner totally useless, too many dogs, not a clue about how to control them (a lead would have been a start!) And despite them coming at us aggressively, proclaimed that it must have been my dogs fault for "Growling or something" Because "They've never done that before" 🤔🙄
I have reported to the police because I got bitten and it was definitely his dogs but don't hold out much hope.
People like that will never take responsibility unfortunately.

Not my post, obviously, Randomly sent to me

Good idea
I hate it when people don’t pick it up too and I get it’s hard if cought out with the runs!
once my dog had that but I went back after with a solitude bottom bleach and poured it over until it had dissolved and disappeared off the pavement (helped it was a wetter day)

Bloody typos
should say diluted bottle of bleach!!!
(Too early sorry)

I'd buy it if it was A) reasonably priced and B) in small containers easy to carry. I run with my dog and have a bum bag with my 'phone, housekey, poo bags and debit card. I could fit something small in it but not a huge bulky bottle.
If a poo really is too runny to pick up I cover with leaves and bunch up and pick up then. Obviously not feasible on a concrete path.

Omg I love you OP 😄 every work of that 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I’m a dog owner and always pick up his poo. I’ve never, in 10 years of having him, had watery poo out of him. If he was ill and having diarrhoea I wouldn’t be taking him out to walk.

I would use something like that, because believe it or not, there are plenty of responsible dog owners around. One of my dogs did have liquid poos once or twice, not because she was ill but because sometimes it happens. It can happen to humans too, where you aren't ill but have a horrendous shit. And it was embarrassing not being able to pick it up. I was also born and raised in the country and understand the importance of not letting them bother people and keeping them on short leads when walking through fields of sheep.

Interesting idea. Our dog is going through a period of soft poos and also had them as a puppy - but we always scrape & bag them up, and cover any residue with sticks to stop people inadvertently stepping on it (I figure sticks should stop it getting in the tread of people shoes even if stepped on). Turns out our vet gave us awful advice the first time & our dog has an undiagnosed grain allergy; and we're currently transitioning between kibbles to address the latest bout. As others have said - salt water gives dogs the runs so soft poo/diahorrea is inevitable around beaches where dogs are allowed off leash.

As others have said, I'd want to know how portable the product was, how easy to diy it (dog walkers are well tuned into over priced cons), the environmental impact, how safe it was (safe for pregnant women & kids to handle?), do we need gloves, etc? This might be better pitched at back yard kept pets as those are difficult spaces to keep clean.

Also from a marketing pov, pet owners generally like to support other pet owners/lovers. You clearly dislike dogs & dog walkers OP, based on the tone and contents of your posts, so I think you'd struggle to build a base unless you took a different approach, or let someone else talk the talk.

We have a dog I walk twice a day, I always pick up her poo. Sadly since the rise in the numbers of ‘lock down’ puppies bad behaviour and non picking up of poo has increased a lot. The rescues are now completely over run, especially with designer dogs that stupid people paid mad amounts of £££ for.

I think your idea of ‘solidizing’ to poo is good, however it won’t stop those who don’t pick up already not doing so

I buy a freeze spray that instantly freezes and solidifies dog pooh, so it's already available op.

What’s happened here? Now you have a small dog yourself?

anyway- yes anything to help clean up dog poo is a winner as far as I’m concerned.

Obviously

Of course it was! You’d send that privately!

I mean, you can see that post by @Maverickess directly above OP’s posting of it, so… unless @Maverickess is OP and OP has confused herself somehow.

‘She is allowed to shoot them if they are on her land and bothering her sheep’

Good for her. Might make the dog walkers actually keep their dogs on a lead. God know round us all the frequent village face book posts and signs as you enter the grazing land don’t.

there is a hill farm near us that grazes sheep and cattle on a local hill. Saw a bloke chatting with his mates as his dog chased ( and actually bit) a sheep. I yelled at him and he did have the grace to look ‘sheepish’ as he retrieved his dog. But as he did so, another dog, that turned out was also his, starting chasing sheep. He said, there were no sheep around when he started his walk, so he thought it would be alright to let the dogs off the lead. Yeah mate, sheep have legs. They are mobile. As are you on your walk. Also the hill is covered in vegetation that hides the sheep. They can be really close and you can’t see them.

As for all the dog poo in walking spots. It is really disgusting now. And dogs are really bad for the environment. The amount of their toileting in spots heavily used by dog walkers changes the ph of the soil and kills off native flora. Not to mention dogs eat meat whose production is bad for the environment. I wish people who consider themselves ‘green’ would stop keeping dogs. It’s a really environmentally unfriendly thing to do.